Aiea's Testimoni Tavale connects on a pitch in an OIA Division II contest against Kalani. Tavale was one of three Na Alii players that had home runs. Sylvia Lee | SL

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_17032253_SOFT-AIEA_KLNI-5X0A2361-A7.jpg - Sylvia Lee | SL

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PALOLO — In her very first start of the season, Brie Allyn Valenciano provided the Aiea softball team with some instant offense Tuesday afternoon.

Valenciano and Poamai Tuli drove in three runs apiece as Aiea used the long ball to dispatch host Kalani in a meeting of unbeaten teams at Palolo Valley District Park.

Na Alii rapped out 12 hits, including three home runs — all with runners aboard — before holding off a late push from the Falcons to improve to 6-0.

Kalani suffered its first loss in Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II play to drop to 4-1.

"The girls played well. They took advantage of the opportunities that were presented and they made adjustments at the plate," Aiea coach Alan Higuchi said.

Aiea never trailed in the game. It took an early lead on Testimoni Tavale's two-out, two-run home run to left-center in the top of the first inning.

Kalani cut the lead in half with Diamond DeMello's two-out, RBI single past shortstop to score Toni-Lynn Ibara in the bottom of the second.

After a scoreless third frame, Na Alii plated four runs in the fourth. After Tavale came home on a single back up the middle by Tilena Lautalo, Valenciano blasted a head-high pitch from Kalani starter Cherise Horita for a three-run homer.

"I wasn't supposed to hit that, I think, but I did," Valenciano laughed. "It was like up there. I was like, ‘I'm too short for this.' "

Valenciano struck out in her first at bat in the second inning, when Horita fanned all three batters in the frame.

"I think the way we adjusted was we just kind of took what she gave us. We knew what to expect, so we just took what she gave us," said Valenciano, whose home run came on a 1-2 pitch.

Aiea added a pair of runs in the fifth on a two-run home run by Tuli, who also drove in one of her team's three runs in the sixth that stretched the lead to 11-2.

However, Kalani's bats came alive in the late innings. Ibara's two-run single, followed by another RBI hit by Kylie Pagud cut Na Alii's lead to 11-6 after six innings.

An Aiea error in the bottom of the seventh allowed Jazzy Furuya to score and Ibara drove in Shandi Matsumoto with a single to right to pull the Falcons within 11-8.

Kalani had the tying run at the plate in Pagud, but she grounded into a double play to end the game.

"We fought to the end, so I cannot get mad at the girls," Falcons coach Kellet Hussey said. "The girls were a little out of focus at the beginning because the baseball team showed up and half their boyfriends are on that team, so I'm going, ‘lose money.' Other than that, we did fine. Aiea is a really, really good team. They hit us well."

Aiea starting pitcher Chantelle Shimabukuro allowed six runs on five hits in five-plus innings of work. She struck out six and walked three and also batted 3 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored from the leadoff spot.

"Chantelle did excellent. She did a good job keeping them off-balance," Higuchi said.

Tuli pitched the final two innings in relief of starter Chantelle Shimabukuro to get the save.

Horita went the distance and struck out nine to take the loss for the Falcons.